Sheet-handling machine.



1i. 0. SEYMOUR. SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE15, 1910.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEETI.

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R. 0. SEYMOUR; SHEET HANDLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE15,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Apr 23, 1912.

- R. G. SEYMOUR.

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED mums, 1910;

Patented Apr. 23; 1912.

3 SHEBTSSHEBT 3.

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RALPH C. SEYMOUR, OF LARCHMONT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOS S PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHEET-HANDLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Application filed. June 15, 1910. Serial No. 567,103.

web and delivering same, although in certain of its features the lnvention is applicable to other kinds of )rintin machines.

Objects of the invention are to provide a novel mechanism for easily and rapidly delivering two printed sheets received in succession from the press into separate piles; to provide such a mechanism adapted to operate upon a web; to provide in connection with such a mechanism novel means for transferring the sheets from one conveying means to another; to provide a novel sheet. delivery which is very rapid, and is also simple in construction and reliable in operation; to p avide such a mechanism adapted to operate upon a web fed thereto and also adapted to deliver the sheets flat.

These and other objects of invention will in part more fully appca hereinafter and will in part be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations, and imprrwements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and forming a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the same serving in connection with the description herein to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the draw1ngs:l igurc l is a side elovation, wlth the front frame removed, of a machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on the line A-B of Fig. 1 lookingin the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the sheet cylinders showing the cylinder taking a second sheet and associating it with a sheet already on the cylinder, the chain conveyer gripper being shown in advance; 1 ig. 4t shows the chain conveyor grippers closing on the sheets as they are released by the cvlinder grippers; and Fig. 5 shows the sheets being carried away by the chain conveyer gripers. p Referring to the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example one embodiment of the invention, a web 1 is shown running into the machine over a roller 2. It will be understood that a plurality of webs could be run in in the same manner. Said web is directed downwardly through a" threat formed by a series of guide fingers 3 and an opposing series of guide fingers 5. The guide fingers 3 are mounted upon a rod 4, said rod beingcarried on the machine frame, and the lingers 5 are carried upon a similar rod (3. Suitable sheet cutting means are provided and the form thereof shown herein comprises opposed rotating knives 10 and 11 located on opposite sides of the web as it travels between the roller 2 and the throat formed by the sets of fingers 3 and 5. The knife 10 is shown mounted on disks 12 carried by a shaft 13. The knife 11 is shown mounted on a series of disks 14 carried by the shaft 15. v

ltleans are provided for collecting the sheets and delivering them at each side of the machine. Sheet associating means are provided at either side of the path of travel of the sheets in operative relation with the sheets to take them as they are fed along said path and severed from the web by the cutters. A cylinder 20 is shown carried by the shaft 21, rotatably mounted on themachine frame. A set of grippers 22 on the cylinder 20 take the lower end of the sheet first before it is severed bythe cutters 10 and 11. A set of tapes 25 is shown running over rollers 27 and 28 to hold the sheets upon the cylinder. The grippers 22 collect or associate a plurality of sheets before releasing them for delivery. In the present insta1ice,'tl1e grippers takethe end of one sheet and carry it around the cylinder, then v i on the next revolution of the particular cylthe cylinder 20 and conveying them away and delivering them, grippers traveling about said cylinder for a portion'of its circumfercnce and away to a place of delivery provided. The relative speed of these grippers to those on the cylinder while pass ing about the cylinder is such that the sheets will he transferred from the cylinder grippers to said traveling grippers. According to one feature of the invention, the traveling grippers are in advance of the cylinder grippers and travel at a slower speed, the grippers thus meeting and transferring the sheet from the cylinder grippers to the travcling grippers. in the nnhodied grippers Means for opening and closing these grippers at the proper time are provided and for this purpose one jaw of said grippers fixed to the hollow bar 33, which is fixed to the chains 30 and 31.

ltotatahly mounted within said hollow bar 33 is a rod 3 t to which the other gripper jaw is fixed. As the bar 34 is caused to rotatc or reciprocate within the hollow bar 33 each pair of gripper jaws opens or closes. When said bar is not acted on, the grippers may he held in the closed position by spring pressure. For the purpose of actuatingllze rod 84:, it is provided at each end with crank arnis and 36, provided respectively with rollers 37 and 38. The sprocket chains 30 and 51 over sprocket wheels 40 and 41 shown with their hubs formed as sleeves 42 and 5:3 rotating on the shaft 2]., between the cylinder and the side frames of toe machine. The sprocket wheels and 41 are of such size and so positioned and the series of grip 'iers 32 are so located upon the sprocketchains, that they travel together the hollow bar 33 with its gri 'ipers meet a depressed or cut out portion in the surface of the cylinder :20. 'llhei'ehy the bar '53 tra vols around with the cylinder 20 lying in an the said recess 50 and with the bite or center of the. gripper jaws substantially in the surface of the cylinder.

The chains 30 and 31, on the side of the cylinder 20 away from the sheet path lead away from said cylinder past suitable delivery devices, and in the present instance, pass over sprocket wheels and ."ioznounted upon a rod or shaft 57. The chains 30 and are constructed and arranged to travel somewhat more slowly than the surface of the cylinder 20, and in the present 0Ii1l 0tlinient said chains are son'iowl'nit less in length than twice the CiIClHHftQYODCG of the cylinder 90, thus, in twit-listanding that the chains travel a little slower than the sin'itace speed of the cylinder, the grippers will always over the cy inders in the sane relative position. The sprocket wheels are driven by gears lit) and 111, fixed to each sprocket shaft 57 and 103, res iectively and y driven to give the requisite dita speed between the chain grippers ider grippers. The depression 50 adjacent to the set of grippers 2:2, .ds che parts are so timed that the grippers form sproclret chains 30 and 31 carry a set or 02 will enter the depression 50 slightly in advance of the cylinder grippers The grippers 22 are closed upon the sheets a? holding them to the cylinder 20. The grip pers 32 are held open, the rollers 37 and 3S running;- on the rains (it) and (31 (see Fig. 2). Owing to the slower rate of travel of the sprocket chains 30 and Ill, as the cylinder rotates the open grippers 32 travel in the depression 50 relatively to the grippers 22 and the sheets :2 until one jaw of each pair oii 'thc grippers on each side otlf the sheet held by the grippers as shown in Fig. 40f the drawings. Any si.ltalile means may be employed for opening the grippers 22 to release the sheets as the grippers 32 close upon them. The illustrated form of .such means comprises a crank arm 22] fixed to the sha'l't 222 of the grippers An arin is shown fixed on the liar 33 having a contact piece 332 which engages the can) roll 223 on arm 221 to rock the grippers .22 open (see Fig. 4-) z the gripper closing; when said arm 331. moves away. after the grip pers 32 have taken the sheets. The hai- 33 is now close upon the grippers 32 hut this occurs at or very near the place where the s nocket chains are leaving the cylinder; and the gripper Q2 rides oil along its circular path (see Fig. 5) having heen opened to release the sheets in which have just been gripped by the grippers 32 the sheets :r thus traveling away with the grippers 3:2 heing carried oil the cylinder as the grippers 32 travel away with their chains. A suitab e delivery tahlo (if may he provided upon which the sheets are stacked and it desired a finger 36 may he employed to hrinp; them down. The jaws 32 are opened h the (:l'fllH G7 and G8 engaging the rollers 37 and 3h.

From the foregoing it will he seen that each alternate time that the grippers rotate, the grippers 32 are in operative relation with thorn, as shown in Figs. -5. 4- and 5, and that in the intervening rotation the grippers 32 are not in operative re ation with them. When the grippers reach the sheet taking point they close down upon the end of the sheet which is then severed by the cutters 10 and ii, the sheet in ion; carried around npo r the cylinder 2H When the grippers QQ'arzjain come around to the sheet taking point they close down on the end of? second sheet. the tapes .25 holding the first sheet upon the cylinder. (in this rotation the grippers 3: are in proper relation 'l'or taking the sheets from the grippers 22 in the manner 'n'cviously descrihed, and the sheets are carried away by the grippers 3:2. one sheet heingr taken oil the cylinder, and the other running helwi-en the cylinc lers directly troni the cutters and. tho weh. So far as many .i'eatures of the invention are concerneifl, lnnvevcr the parts could he so proportioned and arranged as to associate a greater number of sheets, or to take only one sheet at a time directly from the web and deliver it. Suitable means are provided for opening and closing the grippers 22 to take the ends 01' the sheet at each revolution, and to release the sheets to the grippers 32 at every second revolution, but said gripper actuating means are not shown herein, it being old and Well known in the art to provide mechanisms to actuate sheet grippers at every revolution of the cylinder, or at every second revolution. Upon the 0pposite side of the path of travel of the sheets is shown a cylinder 80 provided with grippers 81 for taking the sheets, which may be similar to the corresponding parts previously described. The cylinder 80 is mounted on the shaft 82 in the machine frame. Mounted in operative relation with said cylinder Q0 are the sprocket chains 85 and 50 working over the sprocket wheels 87 and 88 which may have their hubs 89 and 90 loosely sleeved upon the shaft- 82 and hereinbefore described with relation to the corresponding parts. A set 01 grippers 01 are carried on the hollow rod within which rotates theshaft 03. The rod 03 is provided with cranks 94 and 95 having rollers 96 and 97. One jaw of each pair of the grippers 01 is fixed to the hollow bar 92, and the other to the rod 93, reciprocating therein to open and close the grippers as desired. The sprocket chains 85 and 80 pass around the cylinder 80 so that the grippers 01 will come within the recess 100. The sprocket chains then run upwardly and around the sprocket wheels 101 and 102 upon the shaft or rod 103. Cams 104 and 105 may be provided to cooperate with the rolls 96 and 07 to open the grippers 91 to receivev the sheet, and cams 106 and 107 may cooperate therewith to cause the grippers to drop thesheets upon. the delivery table Detailed description of these parts, and of their manner of operation is unnecessary, as they may in all essential points be identical with or similar to the parts on the'other side of the machine.

In addition to the explanation of the manner of operation of the mechanism which has already been included in connection'with the description of the structure, it will be noted that the gri 'ipers 22 of the cylinder and the grippers 81 of the cylinder 80 are a half rotation apart, arid that they thus take the sheets alternately "is they are run down the pathway and arecut oil by the rotary cutters. It will also benoted that the set of grippers 32 on the chains and 31'and the set of grippers 91 on the chains 85 and 86 follow each other and come into operative relation with their respective gripper cylinders, on successive rotations thereof.

Each of, the cylinders 80 collect two sheets, one of said sheets being taken by one oli said cylinders, and the next sheet by the other cyliiulcr. Considering the sheets as run down and cut oil serialim as one, two, three and tour, sheets one and two may he duplicates of each other and sheets three and four may be duplicates of each other. Cylinder 20 will take sheet one and carry it around and cylinder 80 will take sheet two and carry it around. Cylinder :20 will then take the end of sheet three and transfer sheets one and three associated to the grippers which carry them oil and deliver them. Cylinder 80 will then take the end of sheet four, and transfer sheets two and four to the grippers 91 which will carry them off and deliver them. It will be understood that the number of sheets collected and the timing of parts, are illusnative and explanatory of the invent-ion and not restrictive thereof.

The invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the particular construction shown, nor to any particular constructions by which it has been or may be carried into eifect, as many changes may be made in the construction without departing from the main principles oi. the invention and Without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A sheet handling machine including in combination means for supplying a web, means for cutting the web into sheets, two cylii'iders adjacent to each other, means for directing the sheets between said cylinders, grippers on each oi said cylinders for taking the alternate fed sheets, one on one cylinder and the next on the other, each of said grippers collecting two sheets, sprocket Wheels at each end of each cylinder, and concentric with said cylinders, sprocket chains engaging said sprocket wheels and extending away from the opposite cylinder. said sprocket chains being slightly less in length than twice the circumference of said cyl inder, a plurality of sprocket wl'icels lo; cated away from said cylinders. onc of sprocket chains passing over each of said last mentioned sprocket wheels, asupport extending across between the two sprocket chains cooperating with the same cylinder. grippers carried upon said su 'iport, and means for opening and closingsaid grippers.

2. A sheet handling machine including in combination, supplying means, means for cutting the web into sheets, two-cylinders adjacent to each. other, means for directingthe sheets between said cylinders. sheet collecting means on said cylinders for taking alternate sheets as they are out from the web sprocket wheels at. each end of each cylin l sprocket chains passing over said 1 HVQlYHg at a less speed red of i said cylinders.

and sheet taking means carried by the pair of chains associated with'each cylinder, said sheet taking means passing over the surface of said cylinder and receiving the sheets trom said sheet collecting means upon said cylinders.

A sheet handling machine including in combination web supplying means, means for cutting the web into sheets, t' u cylinders adjacent to each other, means for directing the sh ets between said cylinders, sheet collecting means on said cylinders for taking alternate sheets as they are cut from the wel), SPl'tlt'jlitlt wheels at each end of each cylinder, sprocket chains passing over said sprocket wheels and traveling at a difierent speed than the surface speed of said cylinders, and sheet taking means carried by the pair of chains associated with each cylinder, said sheet taking means passing over the surface of said. cylinder and receiving the sheets from said sheet collecting means upon said cylinders.

4. it sheet handling machine including in l"()i1ll)iiltltl()l1 web supplying means, means 'tol cutting the web .into sheets, two cylin ders adjacent to each other, sheet grippers upon each cylinder for taking and collecting the sheets, grippers mounted on a t 'avet ing carrier anzl passing over one ot said cytinders to receive the COllCtltttl sheets from the cylinder grippers, and other grip 'iers mounted upon a traveling carrier and pass ing over the other cylinder to receive the collected sheets 'l rom the cylinder grippers.

ii. A sheet handling machine including in combination web supplying means, means tor cutting the web into shorts, two cylin ders adjacent to each other, sheet grippers upon each cylinder for taking and collect ing the sheets, grippers mounted on a traveling carrier and passing over one oi. said cylinders to receive. the collected sheets from the cylinder gri mers, and other grippers mounted. upona traveling carrier and passing over the other cylinder to receive the collected sheets from the ovlil'uler grippers, one of said traveling gr ppers delivering to one place oi. delivery and the other of said traveling grippers delivering to another place of delivery.

6. sheet handling machint inchn ling in combination a cylinder, c llecting grippers thereon for collecting a plurality oit' sheets, and a gripper carrier traveling over the face of said cyliluler at a slower speed than the collecting grippers to receive the sheets therefrom and to convey them away from the cylinder to a place delivery.

l. it sheet lutndling machine including in combination a cylinder, grippei thereon, and grippers traveling in a partly circular and a partly non-circular path, and passing about said cylinder during the circular per ti on of their travel to leceive the sheets from the cylinder grippers.

8. A sheet handling machine including in combination acylinder, grippers thereon, sprocket chains at either side, a gripper bar extending across between'said chains, and means for traveling Said chains at a ditferent speed from the surface speed 01": the cylinder to transfer a. sheet from the cylinder grippers to the chain grippers.

9. A sheet handling machine including in combination a cylimiler having a lon itndh nal recess therein, grippers on said cylinder near one end of said recess, and a set of grippers adapted to travel in said recess and at a slower speed than the eylindm' whereby a sheet is transferred from. one set oi" grippers to the other.

10. A sheet handling machine including in combination a set of grippers traveling in a circular path, and a set of grippers traveling in a path partly circular and partly non-circular, the circular part being suhstantially concentric with a portion of the path of the other grippers, said grippeu tmvelini at ditt'erent speeds and passing each other at a point where their paths di verge and means for causing a sheet to he conveyed from one g ipper to the other at said point.

11. A sheet handling machine inchuling in combinathm means for supplying sheets along a path, in ans traveling past a point; in said path to collect sheets one at a time from said point in said. path, and means t 'aveling with said m ans past said pointin said path after a. plurality of passings and colleetings by said collecting means to receive the collected sheets from said col.- lccting.

12. A sheet handling machine incluthng in combination.means for supplying sheets along a path, means traveling past a. point in said path to collect sheets one at a time from said point in said path, and means traveling with said means but; at a ditterentspeed past said point in said path after a plurality of passings and collectings by said collecting means to receive tlte collected sheets from said collecting means.

13. A sheet handlingnmachine including in combination a plurality of sets of grip pers traveling in suhstzmtially concentric paths at. dill'crent speeds and means for supplying sheets to one of said sets of grippers, the other set of grippers delivering said sheets. i

14. A 'sheethamlling); niacin in combination two sets of ing in endless pathsjmeai. said grippers at difierent one s of grip1i1ers .PRSSGS the ward grippers traveling ore slew. y, to opening theiorwa rd grippers pr their being overtaken by the rear grippers and means fpr opening the rear grippers and closing the forward grippers as they pass.

15. A sheet handling machine including in combination two sets of grippers traveling along substantially the same path, means for traveling said grippers at different speeds, whereby one set of grippers passes the other, theforward grippers traveling more slowly, means for opening the forward grippers prior to their being overtaken by the rear grippers, and means for opening the rear grippers and closing the forward grippers as they pass.

16. A sheet handling machine including in combination a plurality of sets of grippers traveling in substantially concentric paths at dificr'ent speeds, and means for suit-ably opening and closing said grippers as they pass, whereby a sheet is transferred from one of said grippers to theother.

17. A sheet handling machine including in combination means for supplying sheets along a path, rotary means at the side of said path for taking a sheet therefrom, and means traveling along a rotary path substantially concentric with that of said rotarymeans but at a slower speed, whereby the sheet may be delivered from said rotary means to said traveling means.

18. A sheet handling machine including in combination a cylinder, grippers thereon, grippers traveling in a partly circular-and a partly non-circular path, and passing about said cylinder during the circular portion of their travel to receive the sheets from the cylinder grippers and delivering the sheets during the non-circular portionof their travel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RALPH O. SEYMOUR.

Witnesses:

JOHN D. MORGAN, Rosn MnNK. 

